FEAR IS THE BOOGIE MAN!

As I type these words on April 13, 2022, we are 124 days removed from December 10th when our small town was racked by an F4 tornado. Today we have similar weather warnings for severe storms in our area. As you can imagine after living through such a horrendous event, our small town and surrounding cities are paralyzed with fear. Hundreds have lost homes and businesses. We are still rebuilding our own personal business that was hit hard by the tornado that day. Yet I am reminded that God’s word either specifically states be not afraid or do not fear over 100 times in the KJV. I’ll be doing a study hopefully later this year on fear and faith.. 

How then,  when we have walked through the most tragic moments of life and we are faced with them again, do we face a giant like that and not fear? We face them by trusting in His sovereignty.  Sovereignty means God has the right to do all things according to his own good pleasure.  There are too many scriptures to list here speaking about God’s sovereignty. In moments where fear grips you, looking up these scriptures about fearing not and God being sovereign would grow your faith. 

It doesn’t mean we rub His belly or we twist His arm to we get what we want. We, as His children, trust His sovereign will over our lives.  We trust our daddy!

Will an actual tornado hit again today?

Will cancer hit my family again?  

Will my family lose their jobs?

You can fill in the blank with your gravest fear and know that in the middle of the freak out, God is there! Even in the deepest of pits in scripture, we find Him there.  In the deepest prison, we find Him there with us.  In the deepest loss, God is always there. If we trust His character and if you’ve read the Bible how can you not rest in the face of uncertainty.

Am I going to prepare to keep my family safe?  Sure! But at some point my fear can overtake what I know about God and that my friend is sin!  Sin, at its simplest definition, is rebellion against Him.  I know this and yet there are things in my life that creep up in my soul that cause me to fear.

Growing up I was always afraid what was in the shadows!  I was afraid of shadows around the corner as I walked down the street. I was scared of the shadows in my bedroom. We used to call these the “boogie man”!  I remember hearing as a child, “Don’t let the boogie man get you!”  If you are boogie man story teller, can I give a word of parental advice…don’t.  I think we instill fear in our children more easily than we realize.


 As I am pondering fear this morning it comes like a lightbulb going off in my head that “fear” is the boogie man. Fear is one of our camouflaged enemies. It lives in the corners of our hearts and minds and, if not saturated by the word of God, becomes the boogie man in the corner that steals our rest and peace. Where has fear set up residence in your heart ? Have you begun to believe the boogie man lives in the shadows of the unknowns?  
God is sovereign over the shadows fear creates.  

Christ died so that we might have life and have it abundantly. So today, I will focus on God’s sovereign hand on my life, my family’s life and all Gods given me to steward.  No boogie man today!  There is nothing hidden in the shadows God doesn’t know about. So what should I fear? 

Does it mean I won’t be hit by hard times tomorrow?
No, but it does mean I have been obedient to trust Him whatever comes…even things hidden in the shadows of tomorrow. This my friend is faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. So I will choose to please God.

Some people would say, “think positive!”  Positive thinking is cheap counterfeit to trusting sovereignty.  Does positive thinking have its place, possibly but trusting in God’s sovereignty is not positive thinking.  Trusting in His sovereign work over our lives is resting even in the face of shadows, chaos and uncertainty.  Positive thinking from a fleshly perspective won’t keep you there! Knowing God is sovereign over all will sustain you!

Will you practice resting today in the midst of chaos?

Will you practice faith in the midst of the dark rooms of fear?  

We get to do that!  God has earned our trust!  Trust Him today! 

Marni